When a brain goes wild

[wayfaringwordhack]

“What are you trying to do to me?” is a thing I whiningly asked my mind on a regular basis these past few days as I fought to come to a decision. You see, my brain has taken an idea and literally gone wild with it. The idea is huge, too huge for this small brain, I tell you.  If brain thinks I can pull this off, then brain is going to have to be super cooperative and be willing to learn, to grow, to question more deeply, to...study and Research. Yeah, Research with a capital R because if I go along with the mind’s latest schemes and machinations, this isn’t going to be a project where imagination trumps facts. Yes, well, imagination will win out--I'm a fantasist and write fiction--but to make use of the brain’s twisty turns, there have to be a lot of veracious details.

Because of these developments, I am going to have to stop NaNo. There is just no way I can write this novel right now. I have lots of Research to tend to first. Another option has occurred to me, but I'm unsure of it. I could write on another project for a few hours a day (I can usually get my NaNo words in 1-2hrs), and use the rest of my time to dig and poke at the Big Story. I'm afraid of not being able to maintain momentum, though. I tend to get sucked into one thing and go at it whole hog. Nevertheless, part of me just hates giving up something I've started. *sigh* In this case, I think I need to do what is best for me and that means removing the pressure. But something else is bothering me: I can see the new project taking a loooong time to get finished. It would be nice to have something "lighter" in the works, too. Could it just be a matter of discipline and acting like a  professional, a matter of better organizing my time?

What to do, what to do? Has anyone else ever been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it? Anyone have advice?

Comments

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

Hmmm - not being a professional, I can't really answer you. desperance, or Bear, or some of the others are much better qualified than me to give an opinion.

But I'm going to stick my oar in anyway ;)

Can you use NaNo and Ni90 to do a really, really rough draft (even a partial one)? One with holes and notes like [insert detailed description here] to get you started if the novel is nibbling at your brain all the time?

I like the 2 project idea - that's what I'm trying at the moment so I've got complete contrasts, a change being as good as a rest and all that. But sadly, it's not working. I seem to be a 1 project kinda gal.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

One with holes and notes like [insert detailed description here] to get you started if the novel is nibbling at your brain all the time?

This is another option I've considered; I can, at least, do character sketches. The problem is that I think it will really be detailed notes more than drafting. Still it might shake some ideas loose. And the plot. Yeah, I would like to have an interesting plot. *smirk*

I seem to be a 1 project kinda gal.

That's what I'm afraid of. I tend to get obsessive when I'm really in the groove.

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

It sucks doesn't it? Or it does when you obsess for ages about a project that you never finish, like I tend to do...

Not this time! This time it's being done properly, right the way to a finished, final draft.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Excellent! You must stick with it!